Point in Time Count of C.O. homeless set for next week

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Homeless Leadership Coalition will be kicking off the annual Point In Time Count in Central Oregon on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The event is a count of people who are homeless or in transitional housing in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

The count is a part of a state and national effort to identify the number of people struggling to find appropriate and adequate housing.

During the last week of January, there is a nationwide effort to count every person experiencing homelessness across the country. This Point In-Time Count attempts to capture both sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness to provide a snapshot of homelessness in the United States.

Volunteers across our region conduct a street count of people considered to be unsheltered, meaning they are living outside, and collect data on the homeless population living n emergency shelters and transitional housing.

In addition to the total number of sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness, information is gathered on a wide range of
characteristics of those experiencing homelessness including age, gender, race, ethnicity, veteran status and disability status.

Locally starting on Jan. 29, volunteers will be conducting confidential and anonymous surveys in La Pine, Bend, Sisters, Redmond, Prineville, Madras and Warm Springs.

This count will provide the most up-to-date information about the number of individuals in Central Oregon who are struggling to find adequate housing. Through this data, local agencies and programs will be able to better target support services and develop comprehensive plans to
address poverty and homelessness in Central Oregon.

Individuals and families counted through this effort include people living in:
 Shelters
 Transitional housing
 “doubled up” or precariously housed with families/friends
 Camping, sleeping outdoors or in cars or RV’s without full hookup
 Other places not designed for human habitation

Counts will be taking place January 29, 30 and 31, depending on location.

Additional agencies will survey clients seeking services and we encourage anyone who wishes to participate and self-report to contact your local support agency or medical providers in your area.

For more information, or anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to contact Colleen Thomas, HLC Co-chair and Homeless Outreach Coordinator with Deschutes County Health Services at the contact information below.

Updated locations can be found on the HLC website’s Community Calendar page: http://www.cohomeless.org/events/.

Colleen Thomas
HLC Co-Chair
chair@cohomeless.org
Work office: 541-317-3153
Work cell: 458-292-6397

About the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition: The Homeless Leadership Coalition is a collaboration of community partners in Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes counties, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, engaging the community through education, advocacy, planning prioritizing and accountability for services to persons experiencing homelessness.

The HLC consists of more than 40 organizations and individuals from the tri-county region. They include shelter providers, public schools, public health, emergency services, veterans outreach, faith communities, public safety, mental health, housing services, public services, private employers, people with lived experience of homelessness and others. They represent a diverse group of interests, unified by a common focus.